995 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Bought by Bank & Trust Co

Bank & Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 995 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $509,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 over the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Applied Materials stock traded down $8.32 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $521.95. 1,631,318 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,885,436. The company has a market capitalization of $414.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.60. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $487.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $479.42. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $203.40 and a 1 year high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Key Applied Materials News

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials and Intel announced expanded collaboration at Applied’s EPIC Center and Intel’s Oregon R&D campus. The companies plan to develop next-generation transistors, interconnects and advanced packaging for AI chips, potentially strengthening AMAT’s position in increasingly complex semiconductor manufacturing. Applied Materials and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate Chipmaking Innovations for AI-Driven Computing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage remains bullish on AMAT’s exposure to artificial intelligence, advanced memory, packaging and wafer-fabrication equipment. Goldman Sachs named the stock a tactical semiconductor idea ahead of earnings, while Zacks highlighted the company alongside Lam Research and FormFactor as beneficiaries of sustained AI-driven chip demand. 3 Chip Stocks Set for an Earnings Boost, and 3 to Avoid
• Positive Sentiment: The bullish thesis points to strong execution, record growth in Applied Global Services and expanding equipment demand as chip designs become more complicated. AMAT previously exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. Applied Materials vs. LRCX and KLAC
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials has substantially outperformed the broader market over the past year, but comparisons with Nvidia show a more modest revenue trajectory and lower profitability. This underscores AMAT’s AI exposure while highlighting that it is an equipment supplier rather than a direct AI-chip leader. Applied Materials vs. Nvidia: What Revenue Trends Reveal
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking are likely weighing on the stock after its major rally. Coverage cites a price-to-sales ratio near 9.6 times, making AMAT more sensitive to any slowdown in semiconductor capital spending or disappointment around earnings. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.59X?
• Negative Sentiment: The chief accounting officer sold 725 shares for approximately $395,000 to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. The transaction appears administrative rather than a signal of deteriorating fundamentals, but it adds a minor negative headline. Applied Materials CAO Sells 725 Shares

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, June 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $640.20.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.